NATCHITOCHES -- Northwestern State and McNeese know a little something about raising softball Southland Conference championships.

In the last five seasons, NSU and McNeese have combined to take home nine of the 10 league regular season and tournament titles.

When McNeese visits for a three-game series starting Friday, the results will affect the championship picture as teams jockey for position near the midway point of the regular season.

NSU (20-9, 8-1 SLC) sits in first place after a sweep of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the Lady Demons second sweep this season (opened with home sweep of Lamar).

McNeese (22-10, 5-4 SLC) was ranked as high as No. 23 in the nation after wins against teams like Florida State, Tulsa and Arkansas.

The Cowgirls stumbled to begin conference play (started 2-4), but a sweep of Incarnate Word signals McNeese has rebounded from its slump.

"This will be very tough, like it always is," said NSU coach Donald Pickett. "When these two teams get together, it's a dog fight.

"We can't get caught up in who we are plating. We have to continue to do what we've been doing to get to this point, and take it one pitch at a time."

NSU won tournament titles in 2013 and 2014 with a regular season crown in 2015.

McNeese has won the past two regular season and conference tournament titles, adding to its regular season titles in 2013 and 2014.

Even when McNeese has dominated the Southland Conference the past two years (combined 47-7 in league play), NSU has been arguably the most competitive team against the Cowgirls.

NSU is one of three teams (Lamar and Nicholls) that has beaten McNeese twice in the last two years. McNeese hasn't lost a series in that two-year stretch, and the Lady Demons were an extra-innings loss away from winning the series in Lake Charles this past season.

Katelyn Boles was an out away from a no-hitter before McNeese tied the game and eventually won 5-2 in eight innings.

Pitching has been a major factor in NSU's 8-1 start in league play.

Mikayla Brown leads the league in ERA in conference games with a 1.27, while Micaela Bouvier ranks fifth (1.81 ERA).

"If we can continue to get good pitching and stay in games until we get adjusted on offense, we've been able to get the runs that we need," Pickett said. "That's been our recipe for success."

Brown and Bouvier, who were first-team all-conference selections in 2015, will face a McNeese lineup led by Erika Piancastelli, the three-time reigning hitter of the year.

Piancastelli leads the league in slugging (.777), doubles (11) and home runs (10), the latter of which she's tied with teammate Morgan Catron.

Catron is the SLC lead in RBIs in 33 with Piancastelli second with 30.]

"They have a pretty good core back," Pickett said. "Their pitchers are a little young, but they've been very successful this year.

"A player like Erika only comes around so often. She's been one of the best since she's been here, and I know she wants to have a great senior year."

NSU counters with a lineup that leads the league in batting average (.300).

Cayla Jones is NSU's top hitter with a .432 batting average (third in SLC), .757 slugging (second), 29 runs scored (second), six home runs (fifth) and 24 RBIs (seventh).